DES MOINES – On Thursday, Gov. Reynolds announced the hiring of Taryn Frideres to serve as her new Chief Operating Officer. Frideres is an Iowa native who is joining the Governor’s team from the U.S. Department of State.
“I am excited to welcome Taryn back to Iowa. She has proven herself in challenging roles across the federal government, and her experience will make her a great asset in service to the people of Iowa as my Chief Operating Officer. Taxpayers deserve streamlined government services, and Taryn will play a central role in continuing my effort to improve our state’s responsiveness and efficiency,” Reynolds said.
Reynolds also announced the appointment of Paul Trombino as Director of the Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. He was serving as interim director of the Department of Administrative Services as well as the Governor’s Chief Operating Officer. His appointment is effective January 22, 2021.
“Since devastating floods struck in 2019 and the global pandemic the year after, Paul has worked around the clock to coordinate Iowa’s response,” Reynolds said. “I appreciate his outside-the-box thinking and willingness to challenge the status quo to improve efficiency and functionality in state government. He will do an exceptional job leading this critical state agency.”
Frideres has served as a senior policy advisor for more than a decade as a private sector lawyer, Senate staffer, and U.S. State Department official. Since October 2019, Taryn has served as Deputy to the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, leading the Ambassador’s Washington, D.C. office and serving as a liaison to the White House, State Department, and Congress. Prior to her current role, Taryn served as Senior Advisor to the Deputy Secretary of State and Special Advisor to the Director of the Office of Policy Planning. A Denison, Iowa native, Frideres is a summa cum laude graduate of Drake University and holds a law degree, with high distinction, from the University of Iowa College of Law.
